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Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | 921 SHEEN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Among Fulton J. Sheen's thousands of converts were celebrities such as Clare Booth Luce and Henry Ford II, and former communists Louis Budenz and Elizabeth Bentley. Reeves discusses these conversions and Sheen's close friendship with J. Edgar Hoover, and details for the first time the struggle between Sheen and his chief rival, Francis Cardinal Spellman, a battle of ecclesiastical titans that led all the way to the Pope and to Sheen's final humiliation and exile.
Author Notes
Thomas C. Reeves has written and edited a dozen books
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
These two books illuminate both the meaning and the message of the life of one of the most celebrated religious leaders of the twentieth century. Reeves does an outstanding job of painting a multifaceted portrait of a complex public figure. The most prominent and influential Catholic personality in the U.S., the charismatic Sheen hosted his own Emmy Award-winning TV show during his heyday in the 1950s. Able to reach millions of viewers and potential converts at one time, he became the foremost evangelist for the Roman Catholic Church. A gifted orator, theologian, and philosopher, the often controversial preacher tackled a variety of sensitive subjects, including the inherent evil of racism, the threat of Communism, and the rise of secularism in American society. Although an admirer of Sheen, the author does not gloss over his subject's all-too-human failings, documenting Sheen's less-than-saintly struggles with greed, vanity, and pride. Those searching for more personal theological and philosophical information to complement Reeves' biographical overview of Sheen's private life and professional career should check out Your Life Is Worth Living. This book, previously unpublished in written form, comprises the text of a 25-record audio recording released by Sheen in 1965 as an intimate response to the many inquiries about the intricacies of the Catholic religion he received in his capacity as the National Director for the Society of the Propagation of the Faith. Covering a range of topics such as the relationship between God and humanity, the significance of Christ as both God and man, the purpose of both sin and sacraments in daily life, and the fundamental tension between the soul and the material world, Sheen addresses an array of spiritual and corporeal issues that continue to intrigue and puzzle a new generation of both the faithful and the merely curious. --Margaret Flanagan
Library Journal Review
One of the most influential American Catholic churchmen of the 20th century, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979) here receives overdue historical and biographical attention. Reeves (history, Univ. of Wisconsin, Parkside), the author of various studies on U.S. presidents, liberal Christianity, and 20th-century U.S. history (e.g., A Question of Character: The Life of John F. Kennedy), applies meticulous scholarly investigation to his subject. He shows how Sheen influenced millions of people, teaching theology and philosophy at Catholic University (1926-50) and preaching on radio and television broadcasts that drew many converts, both high-profile and ordinary. A careful reading of Sheen's books which numbered over 60 reveals the staunch faith and proven scholarship underlying his media popularization of religion. Sheen also raised millions for the world's poor and publicly opposed communism, racism, and the Vietnam War. Differences with New York's Cardinal Spellman led him into "exile" as Bishop of Rochester, NY (1966-69), after which he continued to preach, travel, write, and maintain a voluminous correspondence. Reeves has done a yeoman's service in gathering fragmented sources and pointing out archival deficiencies on his subject. Highly recommended for most libraries. Anna M. Donnelly, St. John's Univ., Jamaica, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| 1 A Successor of the Apostles | p. 9 |
| 2 The Taste of Champagne | p. 39 |
| 3 A Catholic Philosopher for the New Age | p. 60 |
| 4 Battle Lines | p. 95 |
| 5 The Loss of God, the Beginning of Tyranny | p. 126 |
| 6 Reaching Out | p. 163 |
| 7 Global Thinking | p. 197 |
| 8 The Television Man of the Year | p. 223 |
| 9 Backed up Against the Cross | p. 251 |
| 10 Exile | p. 291 |
| 11 Frail Defender | p. 328 |
| Author's Note | p. 363 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 372 |
| Appendix A Sheen Publications | p. 374 |
| Appendix B Hints for Presenting a Talk | p. 381 |
| Notes | p. 383 |
| Interviews | p. 464 |
| Index | p. 465 |
